With Russia escalating its attacks on Ukraine, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has warned that Russia’s military upgrade could have an increasingly larger impact on Poland in the coming weeks and months.
As reported by Poland’s RMF24 broadcasting company, Tusk stated during a briefing at the Government Security Center in Poland on Sunday, September 13, that recent developments have shown Russia’s military upgrade becoming more evident, gradually approaching Polish territory.
“The Russian upgrade is becoming a reality, and incidents are getting closer and closer to our borders,” Tusk said. “If necessary, we must be prepared to respond collectively.”
Tusk specifically mentioned Russia’s latest round of attacks on Ukraine, highlighting that Russian forces are now employing more dangerous weapons, including an increasing number of jet-powered drones.
“Last night’s attack shows that Russia is ready to use more dangerous equipment, such as jet-powered drones,” he said.
Tusk pointed out that even though Ukraine has a fairly sophisticated defense against drones, it cannot guarantee intercepting them 100%.
Polish Deputy Minister of National Defense Cezary Tomczyk also attended the briefing. He mentioned that during Russia’s drone attacks on Ukraine on September 13, the western region of Ukraine recorded a total of 13 strikes.
Against this backdrop, Tusk called for an assessment of Poland’s readiness to counter the threat posed by drones, particularly actions that may target critical infrastructure and transportation networks.
Tusk indicated that he wants to understand whether Poland is adequately prepared to address the potential threats posed by drones and Russian attempts to disrupt railway and other transportation systems.
“I will also await relevant information to understand to what extent we are prepared for threats posed by drones and actions trying to disrupt our operations, whether on railways or elsewhere,” he said. “I do not rule out similar situations occurring in Poland.”
Tusk’s warning comes as Russia’s September 13 attacks affected regions bordering Ukraine and Poland.
According to reports, a Russian drone attacked a passenger train traveling from Kiev to Warsaw in Ukraine’s Volyn region, hitting the train’s engine. The incident occurred just about 2 kilometers from the Polish border.
The Ukrainian state railway company stated that there were no injuries resulting from the event, as the railway monitoring team had issued a threat alert to the train crew in advance.
The same round of attacks also inflicted damage on infrastructure near the Yahodyn-Dorohusk international border crossing, which is an essential road passage between Ukraine and Poland.